The Last Night
by sUnKiSsT
Summary: James suddenly felt no more fear, but red hot fury. “You can kill me, but you will never kill my son. One day you’re going to regret ever messing with the Potter family. Harry will destroy you!”


_**Rating: K+ for a little bit of swearing**_

_**Author: Ashley Graham**_

_**Title: The Last Night **_

_**Summary: The last night they had together, and what happened when James tried to hold off Voldemort.**_

**_Author Note: Please read it, it's not bad. Don't let the fact that there are lyrics from a song put you off, you don't have to read the lyrics if you don't want to…there just there for some mood effect, sad song to go with a tragic story. Please review ;)_**

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**The Last Night**

_Santa Maria, Santa Teresa, Santa Anna, Santa Susannah  
Santa Cecilia, Santa Copelia, Santa Dominica, Mary Angelica  
Frater Achad, Frater Pietro, Julianus, Petronella  
Santa, Santos, Miroslaw, Vladimir  
and all the rest_

A young woman sat on a squashy chair in a cozy looking living room. There was a big bay window, which revealed the small garden and walkway outside the house. A fire was cackling in its grate, its warmth flooding the room. A baby cooed in the girl's arms, he was just over a year old, with a tuft of jet black hair. He had bright green eyes, so very much like the person holding him, his mother, Lily Potter.

Lily was only 24 years old, her red hair shone healthily with her youth. Her green eyes were full of love and warmth, and yet if you looked long enough you would inevitably notice that those beautiful eyes had seen much more pain and loss than any young woman should see.

Yet she still managed to smile adoringly at her son, tickling his tummy gently and laughing when he giggled in return. During this, she kept glancing out her window, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at anything that cast a slight shadow.

There were soft footsteps that were coming from the kitchen, and a moment later, James Potter came into view. He sat opposite of his wife, and smiled reassuringly as he held out a mug of tea. She took it carefully, and handed their son over to him so that she could clutch it in both her hands.

James was a very handsome man. His eyes were a deep hazel, which shone with happiness whenever he laid eyes on his young son or his wife. He had raven black hair, which stuck up everywhere. Round glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, and he was constantly pushing them closer to his face. Although he was tall and thin, he was very strong and fit, thanks to the vigorous training and then career as an Auror for the ministry of magic.

_a man is placed upon the steps, a baby cries  
and high above the church bells start to ring  
and as the heaviness the body  
oh the heaviness settles in  
somewhere you can hear a mother sing_

"He's going to be an exact replica of you, like a clone. I just hope he isn't as mischievous or adventurous." Lily grinned after taking a sip of her steaming tea.

"What fun would he be then? I will be very disappointed if he hasn't discovered at least 3 secret passageways out of Hogwarts by his fifth year." James replied with a smirk, his face wrinkled in distaste at the thought of his son being so dull.

"Well I mustn't be much fun then." Lily shot back quickly.

"_You_ are the most beautiful witch I've ever met, and you've got a lot of guts too." James said smoothly, he had always thought himself a ladies man.

Lily shook her head but smiled all the same. Suddenly, however, her face had drained of color and she stood up quickly, looking past James and through the window.

"What?" James asked sharply, turning to look as well. There was nothing but a large oak tree out front, and some fall leaves that littered the ground.

"I thought…I thought I saw something outside. My imagination I guess." She mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

James's face relaxed and he put a comforting arm around her small shoulders. "Everything is going to be alright Lily. The fideluis charm has been completed; the dark lord will never be able to find us here."

"I know…but…I've just got this horrible feeling in my stomach that something just isn't right. Plus, we can't stay in hiding forever, Harry has to go to school…I mean we can home school him until he's eleven but then what?"

"Voldemort will be dead long before then." James said firmly.

"Stop it, you heard the prophecy that Trelawney woman made. Dumbledore believes it, it's the entire reason why _he_ is out to get us. I won't let him hurt Harry, I won't James!" Lily replied a little frantically.

"Sweetheart everything is going to work out, our son is going to grow up into a fine young man and make us proud."

Lily sighed and embraced her husband and child tightly. They stayed this way for a few minutes. James was the first to speak, "Jesus, it's almost midnight, we'd better get to bed…it's a wonder Harry isn't sleeping yet."

Lily looked over at her son, and shared her husbands' surprise. Usually Harry was put down at 7pm, and yet here he was, staring at the two of them like he was trying to drink in their appearances.

The trio had made it only halfway up the stairs when they heard it. A loud click as the front door unlocked and booted feet walking swiftly down the hall. The man was cackling insanely, like he had never been happier than at this moment. They could hear him blasting things apart as he made his way deeper into the house.

"How did he find us?" Lily whispered, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

_then it's one foot then the other  
as you step out onto the road  
how much weight? how much weight?  
then it's how long? and how far?  
and how many times before it's too late?_

James just shook his head, all the color had drained from his face. He handed Harry over to Lily, the baby seemed to realize something was happening, for he was very quiet and still.

"I'm not letting you fight him alone." Lily said, immediately realizing what her husband was planning to do. She pulled her wand out of her jean pocket, at the exact same time as James. Neither of them had changed into their night things yet.

James stared at his wife; there was desperation, fear and love in his eyes. "Take Harry and go. You need to save Harry, I'll hold him off. GO LILY!" He said as quietly as possible.

"Not without you." Lily replied, tears sparkling in her emerald eyes.

"Please, Harry needs to live. He's our world's only hope." James said his voice cracking with emotion. "I love you…both of you." He whispered, kissing his wife and son.

Voldemort was getting closer, they could hear him yelling. "Just give me the child and I will spare both your lives! Don't pretend that you've dissaparated you fools! I know that it is impossible to do so under such a powerful enchantment."

Lily let out a small moan but nodded and dashed up the stairs, cradling her son, who had finally let out a small cry of protest. He did not want to leave his daddy.

James squared his shoulders and held his wand high. He rushed down the stairs and turned into the hall. Voldemort was at the other end of it.

"What is your business here?" James bellowed bravely.

Voldemort cackled and lowered his hood. "Give me your boy, Potter!"

"I will NEVER hand my son over to the likes of _you_!" James said firmly. He shot a stunner at the man, but it had no affect.

_calling all angels  
calling all angels  
walk me through this one  
don't leave me alone  
calling all angels  
calling all angels  
we're cryin' and we're hurtin'  
and we're not sure why..._

Voldemort looked like someone whom had once been handsome, but through the years had distorted into something barely human. His face was white, and the skin stretched over the skull, his eyes were as dark as black pools, and his black hair could rival James's. He had a thin build, but was at least 6 feet tall.

"If you do not give him to me, I will just have to kill you." Voldemort spat, pointing his wand at the man before him. "It won't be much of a loss though, you can't even pick you're friends right."

James stared into the tunnel like eyes as a dawn of realization suddenly washed over him. "Peter," He said hoarsely, "He was the spy. Oh god."

Voldemort smirked. "You should have seen his face when he told me he was the Potter's secret keeper. The best thing he's ever done in his pitiful life."

James suddenly felt no more fear, but red hot fury. "You can kill me, but you will never kill my son. One day you're going to regret ever messing with the Potter family. Harry will _destroy_ you!"

Voldemort laughed and bellowed, "Avada Kedevra!"

A bright green light filled the hallway, James never moved from his spot. All he thought about before he died was his son and wife, who were currently helpless upstairs.

_and every day you gaze upon the sunset  
with such love and intensity  
why it's...it's almost as if  
if you could only crack the code  
then you'd finally understand what this all means_

The body of James Potter fell to the floor with a dull thud. His eyes were still open and glassy, but unlike most, his face was not twisted in fear. His murderer took care to step on the lifeless body, laughing mirthlessly, as he walked slowly up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Lily was frantically trying to bolt the door of her bedroom shut. She could see the flash of green filling the crack underneath the door, and could hear Voldemort laughing. She let out a small whimper, knowing that the love of her life was almost certainly dead.

Baby Harry began to wail from his crib. She turned to look at him and was surprised to see that he was halfway out of his small bed. Rushing over, she caught him before he tumbled onto the carpet.

"Hush, it's going to be alright sweetie." She choked as the footsteps drew nearer, knowing that her only hope would be if Dumbledore somehow made it there in time.

The knob on the door twisted slowly. Shaking but determined to save her son, Lily shifted him into her left arm, and held her wand steady in the right.

The door flung open to reveal the man, tall and thin, with the blackest of cloaks. He shot her a sadistic smile and said calmly, "Give me the boy, stand aside mudblood."

"No, not Harry. Please not Harry, take me instead!" Lily cried, the thought of losing both her husband and child was overbearing. Her knees buckled and she fell against Harry's crib, her wand still pointed at the dark lord.

"Stand aside silly girl. Give me the boy and I will spare your life." Voldemort growled, his voice getting higher and more impatient.

"No! Please! Kill me instead, not Harry, not Harry!" Lily screamed, attempting to hex him and failing. He deflected it with a flick of his wand, ignoring her pleas.

"It is a shame that I have to kill you, you would have been a lot of fun for my faithful death eaters." Voldemort said, raising his wand.

"You're an evil, evil man. I hope you rot in hell for all the lives you've ruined." Lily whispered, moving her son behind her back, using her body as a shield. She knew that once Voldemort killed her, he would have a clear path for her son, but she would never stand aside if there was even the tiniest chance Harry would survive this night. She just loved him too much.

"Very well, AVADA KEDEVRA!" Voldemort said, like he was beginning to get very bored of this entire scenario.

And so the last thing Lily Potter heard was a rushing sound in her ears, evil cackling and the high pitched crying of her beautiful baby boy as the life drained out of her slender body forever.

_but if you could...do you think you would  
trade it in  
all the pain and suffering?  
ah, but then you'd miss  
the beauty of the light upon this earth  
and the sweetness of the leaving_

Voldemort kicked the still body of the beautiful red head aside, and took his time to lay his wand on the boy named Harry Potter.

"_You_ destroy _me_? We shall see about that." Voldemort whispered maliciously. "Goodbye, Harry Potter."

"AVADA KEDEVRA!"

_calling all angels  
calling all angels  
walk me through this one  
don't leave me alone  
callin' all angels  
callin' all angels  
we're tryin'  
we're hopin'  
we're hurtin'  
we're lovin'  
we're cryin'  
we're callin'  
'cause we're not sure how this goes_

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**__**END**_

_You guys know what happens after that. Well tell me what you think! Please?_


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